News Analysis India

Tag: Farmers Protest

  • Anti-farm laws stir: MP cops fire tear gas, water cannons on protesting Congress workers

    By Express News Service
    BHOPAL: Police used tear gas shells, water cannons as Congress leaders and workers in Madhya Pradesh marched towards the Raj Bhavan here in a bid to gherao it over the demand for withdrawal of three new central farm laws.

    Police also cane-charged to discipline protesters after they turned unruly, he added.

    Over 100 Congress leaders and workers, including ex-CM Digvijaya Singh, his MLA son Jaivardhan Singh and legislator Kunal Chaudhary were detained by police but released later.

    According to Bhopal police sources, 1500-plus Congress activists have been booked under Sections 353, 147, 148, and 188 of IPC.

    Vice-chairman of state Congress media cell Bhupendra Gupta alleged that more than 50 Congress activists were injured in the cane-charge on the protestors.

    #WATCH Madhya Pradesh: Police use water cannons to disperse Congress workers who were taking out a march from Jawahar Chowk to Raj Bhavan in Bhopal, in the support of farmers. pic.twitter.com/7Jz6s5tdpv
    — ANI (@ANI) January 23, 2021

    As per informed sources, around 5 police personnel too were hurt when protesting Congress activists clashed with cops.

    The march was led by ex-CM and MP Congress chief Kamal Nath. When the Congress activists, including senior Congress MLA and ex-MP Laxman Singh (Digvijaya Singh’s brother), tried to climb the barricades at the Roshanpura crossing on route to the Raj Bhawan, the police started using water cannons to disperse the protestors.

    Subsequently, the cops fired tear gas shells to disperse the mob of Congress activists and later cane-charged them.

    Slamming the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government, the MP Congress chief Kamal Nath tweeted, “I condemn the cane-charge, water-cannons and tear gas used by police at the behest of Shivraj Singh Chouhan government on thousands of Congress workers and farmers. Many of our party workers, women, and farmers, besides media personnel, were injured in the police action. But our battle against the new farm laws will continue.”  

  • Farm laws stir: MP cops fire tear gas, water cannons on protesting Congress workers

    By PTI
    BHOPAL: Police used tear gas shells and water cannons as Congress leaders and workers in Madhya Pradesh marched towards the Raj Bhavan here in a bid to gherao it over the demand for withdrawal of three new central farm laws, a senior official said.

    Hundreds of Congress workers, led by the party’s state unit chief Kamal Nath, marched towards the Raj Bhavan.

    “Police had to use tear gas shells, water cannons and lathis to disperse the party workers who were marching towards the Governor’s residence,” the police official said.

    Police used mild force to discipline protesters after they turned unruly, he added.

    #WATCH Madhya Pradesh: Police use water cannons to disperse Congress workers who were taking out a march from Jawahar Chowk to Raj Bhavan in Bhopal, in the support of farmers. pic.twitter.com/7Jz6s5tdpv
    — ANI (@ANI) January 23, 2021

    Bhopal deputy inspector general of police Irshad Wali said the situation was under control now.

    A Congress leader said the protest was aimed at drawing the government’s attention towards the demand for repeal of the three controversial agriculture laws.

    Enacted in September last year, the three laws have been projected by the Centre as major reforms in the agriculture sector that will remove middlemen and allow farmers to sell their produce anywhere in the country.

    Thousands of farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, have been camping at several border points of Delhi since November 28 last year, demanding a repeal of the three farm laws.

  • ‘Miscreants plotting to disrupt our peaceful tractor parade on R-Day’: Farmer leaders

    Express News Service
    CHANDIGARH: Farmer leaders have alleged that a plot has been hatched to disrupt their proposed tractor parade on Republic Day.

    They also said that a conspiracy has been plotted to kill four leaders, as they have caught a youth who was allegedly in police uniform and has confessed he was part of group who had been instructed to create disturbance during the tractor rally on January 26.

    The farmers have handed over the youth to Haryana Police. 

    On Friday night, the farmer leaders presented a masked youth, whose identity was not revealed, claimed that he and his ten accomplices were allegedly asked to be in police uniforms and baton charge the crowd during the proposed tractor rally on Republic Day.

    ​ALSO READ | ‘Murder plot’: Man handed over to Haryana police by farmer leaders being quizzed

    Farmer leader Kulwant Singh Sandhu alleged,”Attempts are being made by agencies to disrupt the farmers agitation against the farm laws. We have caught this person from the protest site at the Singhu border and he revealed an alleged plot to shoot four farmer leaders we cannot divulge the names of those leaders, as he showed us their photos on his mobile phone. Also he was tasked to cause disruption during farmers’ tractor march on January 26. We handed him over to the Haryana Police.”

    The youth who’s face was covered with a scarf claimed that a plan has been hatched to shoot four farmer leaders, who are ‘popular faces’.

    The youth said that he and a few other men and women were “working on behest of some people and a station house officer to carry out the attack on famrer leaders.”

    ​ALSO READ | Punjab arhtiyas to shut shops for three days from January 25 in support of farmers’ stir

    “The youth has told us that besides their group there are at least 50 to 60 of them who are now among the protesting farmers and at two places weapons have already reached and taking those weapons they were to fire,” said another farmer leader Jagjeet Singh Dallewal.

    The youth further alleged that his handlers will meet him in hotels and other places and had promised to give him Rs 10,000. 

    “We have been told by our handlers that the protestors were not good people and were our enemies,” he alleged.

    The youth also claimed that their team had also created disturbance in the Jat stir in 2016 and more recently they created disturbance at the Kisan Mahapanchyat of Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar in Karnal.

    ​ALSO READ | Punjab, Haryana farmers to set out for tractor parade in Delhi on Saturday

    While Rakesh Tikait of Bhartiya Kisan Union said, “our agitation has been peaceful. It is now matter of investigation who will benefit from disturbing our agitation. We cannot guarantee whether this youth is speaking the truth or not.”

    Superintendent of Police of Sonipat Jashandeep Singh Randhawa said the story seemed to be unreal but the police is doing thorough investigation.

    Meanwhile, another police official said that the youth was 21-year-old and was contacted by an unknown person on January 19.

    Further investigation is underway.

  • ‘Murder plot’: Man handed over to Haryana police by farmer leaders being quizzed

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: A man, who was presented by protesting farmer leaders before reporters at the Singhu border on Friday night as they alleged that a conspiracy was hatched to kill four of them and create disturbance during their proposed tractor parade in Delhi on January 26, is being quizzed by the Haryana police in Sonipat, officials said on Saturday.

    A police official from Sonipat said the man, stated to be around 21 years of age, was being quizzed by the Crime Branch of the state police.

    He said the man was residing in Sonipat and had no previous criminal record.

    “He was not carrying any arms or ammunition. We are questioning him, but nothing has so far been found that points to any kind of conspiracy, as is being alleged,” the official said, adding that further investigations are underway.

    READ HERE | Protesting farmer leaders allege conspiracy hatched to kill four of them during tractor rally

    At the Singhu border press conference late on Friday night, the farmer leaders presented the man who claimed that his accomplices were asked to pose as policemen and baton-charge the crowd during the proposed tractor parade in the national capital on Republic Day.

    The farmer leaders claimed that they caught the man from the protest site at the Singhu border.

    He was subsequently handed over to the Haryana police.

    Farmer leader Kulwant Singh Sandhu alleged that attempts are being made to disrupt the ongoing agitation against three farm laws.

    The man, who had his face covered with a scarf, claimed at the press conference that a plan was hatched to shoot four farmer leaders, who are known faces in the media, at the stage on Saturday.

    “On January 26, there was a plan to create disturbance during the tractor parade by opening fire on Delhi Police personnel, which would prompt them to retaliate against the protesting farmers in a strong manner,” he said.

    ALSO READ | Farmer union leaders claim getting threats over phone, social media

    Thousands of farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, have been camping at several border points of Delhi since November 28 last year, demanding a repeal of the three farm laws and a legal guarantee to the minimum support price (MSP) for their crops.

    Enacted in September last year, the three laws have been projected by the Centre as major reforms in the agriculture sector that will remove middlemen and allow farmers to sell their produce anywhere in the country.

    However, the protesting farmers have expressed their apprehension that the new laws would pave the way for eliminating the safety cushion of MSP and do away with the “mandi” (wholesale market) system, leaving them at the mercy of big corporates.

  • Farmer union leaders claim getting threats over phone, social media

    Express News Service
    CHANDIGARH: Farmer unions have alleged that their leaders are receiving threatening and abusive calls. During the 11th round of talks with the government, they raised this issue and claimed that Krantikari Kisan Union president Darshan Pal and Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait had received threats over phone and on social media.

    “Yesterday (Thursday) night, Darshan Pal got a phone call from a person who abused him and told him that the farmers should accept the government’s proposal. The issue was raised at the meeting with the Union ministers today and the number from which the phone call was made was given to the Delhi Police so that they can trace the caller,” said a farmer leader. 

    ALSO READ | Farmers reject govenment proposal of suspending three farm laws, deadlock remains

    “On Friday morning, when farmer leader Ruldu Singh Mansa was leaving for the meeting with the government, a Delhi Police personnel allegedly smashed the rear windscreen of his car. This was also flagged during the meeting,” the farmer leader added.

    Sources said Tikait was allegedly indirectly threatened on social media that he could be in trouble when he goes back to UP. Tikait himself chose to underplay the matter and said, “These small things keep happening.” A senior Delhi Police officer, however, claimed,

    ALSO READ | Punjab, Haryana farmers to set out for tractor parade in Delhi on Saturday

    “The Republic Day security arrangements are tight in New Delhi area and police personnel are checking all the vehicles at every picket. When they stopped Mansa’s vehicle, he started yelling. He himself broke his windshield and started blaming the police. It’s just a stunt to get limelight and sympathy. They have also not filed any police complaint.”

  • No resolution possible when sanctity of farmers’ agitation gets lost: Narendra Singh Tomar

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: With the government’s talks with farmer unions hitting a roadblock, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Friday said some “forces” definitely want protests to continue for their own personal and political motives and no resolution is possible when the sanctity of agitation is lost.

    The minister said the farmer unions have been asked to revert till Saturday if they agree to the government’s proposal for putting the laws on hold and forming a  joint committee to reach a solution, after which the talks can continue.

    “We also told farmers to give their own proposal, other than the repeal of Acts, if they have got anything better than our offer,” Tomar told reporters after the 11th round of talks at that lasted for almost five hours but included less than half an hour of active discussion between the two sides.

    ALSO READ| Government-farmers talks hit roadblock; Unions threaten to intensify agitation

    Asked whether he expects the farmers to agree to the government offer, he said, “I don’t want to speculate, but we are hopeful that farmer unions will consider positively our proposal.”

    On whether he saw any division among the union leaders on the government proposal, Tomar did not give a direct reply but said, “We thanked all farmer leaders, including those who support our proposal and those who are against it. We should remain hopeful. Let’s wait till tomorrow to hear farmer unions’ final decision.”

    Taking a hardline position, the minister said some external force was definitely trying to ensure that the agitation continues and those were obviously against the interests of farmers. “Govt gave many proposals to end the protest, but no resolution is possible when the sanctity of an agitation is lost,” he said.

    Tomar said that the three farm reform bills were passed in Parliament for farmers’ benefit and will increase their income. He added that the ongoing agitation is mainly by those from Punjab and some from a few other states.

    Tomar said the talks between the government and farmers are continuing since October 14 and there have been 11 rounds so far, including one with officials and others with the ministers.

  • Singer Daler Mehndi says celeb appearances at farmers’ protest won’t help

    By IANS
    NEW DELHI: Singer Daler Mehndi says that raising one’s voice is good, but a solution for the ongoing farmers’ protest can only be given by leaders and not necessarily by celebrity appearances.

    Several personalities including Daler’s brother Mika Singh, besides Punjabi singer-actor Diljit Dosanjh, Himanshi Khurana and Bollywood actress Swara Bhasker, were seen at the farmers’ protest.

    Asked if having popular faces at the protest helps the social cause, Mehndi told IANS: “It is important to raise one’s voice and many do so, too. It is a good thing. But this is not going to help. The only solution can be taken out by the leaders. The leaders of the farmers, they are doing their work. They are meeting the government.”

    “They are not singing or entertaining. They are doing their job. They will come out with a solution,” he added.

    Mehndi shared his reason for not being able to be a part of the protest.

    “The reason I could not go was that I gave my all to ‘Ishq nachave’ for lightening the moods for those who are suffering because of Covid-19.” Mehndi is now hoping for a solution. “I pray that the farmers and the government come out with a solution,” he added.

    Scores of farmers, mainly from Punjab, Haryana and Western Uttar Pradesh, have been protesting against the three Central farm laws passed in September last year on the borders of Delhi since November 26 last year.

    During the 10th round of talks between the government and farmer leaders to end the impasse, the former has proposed to put the three farm laws on hold for one-and-a-half years.

  • Government shown shocking insensitivity on farmers’ issue: Sonia Gandhi

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Friday launched a fierce attack on the Centre over the farmers’ agitation and said the government has shown “shocking insensitivity and arrogance going through the charade of consultations”.

    Addressing a crucial meeting of the Congress Working Committee, she alleged that it was now abundantly clear that the three farm laws were prepared in haste and Parliament was consciously denied an opportunity to examine in any meaningful detail their implications and impacts.

    “The agitation of farmers continues and the government has shown shocking insensitivity and arrogance going through the charade of consultations,” she said.

    The crucial meeting, being held virtually, will also finalise the plan for organisational elections, including that of the next Congress president.

    ALSO READ: Government under misconception that only Punjab, Haryana farmers in battle against agri laws, says Soren

    Gandhi said the Congress position on the issue of the farm laws has been clear from the very beginning.

    “We reject them categorically because they will destroy the foundations of food security that are based on the three pillars of MSP, public procurement and PDS.”

    Discussing the budget session of Parliament, she said there are many pressing issues of public concern that need to be debated and discussed, but it remains to be seen whether the government will agree to a discussion.

    On the purported WhatsApp chat leaks of Arnab Goswami, she said, “There have been very disturbing reports on how national security has been so thoroughly compromised.”

    ALSO READ: Rejection of Modi government’s ‘lollipop’ on farm laws signals farmers’ awakening – Congress

    “The silence from the government’s side on what has been revealed has been deafening. Those who give certificates of patriotism and nationalism to others now stand totally exposed,” she said.

    Gandhi expressed the hope that the process of the COVID-19 vaccination drive will continue and be completed to the fullest extent.

    The government, she added, has inflicted untold suffering on the people of the country by the manner in which it has managed the COVID-19 pandemic.

    “It will take years for the scars to heal,” she alleged.

    The economic situation remains grim and large parts of the economy like MSME and the informal sector have been decimated with the government refusing to extend a lifeline, the Congress president said.

    “When public expenditure has to be carefully prioritized, it is very painful to find huge amounts of money being  allocated and spent on initiatives that can only be described as ‘personal vanity projects’,” she said.

    “Panic privatization has gripped the government and this is something that the Congress party can never accept and support,” Gandhi added.

    The Congress chief also asked the party office bearers to list the schedule and modalities for organizational elections that has to get the CWC’s approval.

  • The ‘Nays’ have it, government offer rejected

    By Express News Service
    NEW DELHI/CHANDIGARH : The government’s hopes of ending the deadlock over the farm laws before Republic Day were dashed on Thursday with the farmers unions rejecting the proposal to suspend the laws for two years or more and forming a joint panel to examine the entire gamut of issues. 

    In a statement issued after two rounds of meetings, the first among the 32 Punjab unions followed by all the organisations under the Samyukt Kisan Morcha banner, the farmers said “the proposal put forth by the government yesterday was rejected.” 

    “A full repeal of (the) three central farm laws and enacting a legislation for remunerative MSP for all farmers were reiterated as the pending demands of the movement,” the morcha said.

    But sources said the decision was not unanimous, with some smaller unions, who were in a minority, in favour of accepting the Centre’s proposal but with several conditions, while the bigger ones, mainly from Punjab, firm on continuing with the agitation.  The sources said the majority view to reject the proposal was mainly two-fold.

    First, the protest was peaking and if they withdrew at this point, they may not be able to build up another movement in the future for a repeal of the laws in case the proposed committee rejects this demand. Second, 143 farmers had died during the agitation and if they were to accept the offer without getting the laws repealed, their sacrifice would have gone in vain. 

    The split in opinion led to some heated exchanges during the meeting, the sources said, forcing a vote over the issue.

    “The consensus was that we should stick to our stand of repeal. Voting took place in the meeting of all the 40 unions in which most voted for rejecting the proposal,” a leader said. Joginder Singh Ugrahan, the leader of the largest union, said, “we want the Centre to enact a legislation for remunerative MSP and also a law with the provision that the government procures these crops at MSP as it has been doing to date.”

    “The Punjab unions decided to reject the Centre’s proposal. They informed this at the joint meeting. There was a feeling that 143 farmers have sacrificed their lives and there is no point in settling for anything less than a repeal,” said All India Kisan Sabha general secretary Hannan Mollah  The morcha paid homage to the farmers who have died in the movement so far. 

    Tractor rally talks

    Meeting between farmer union leaders and the Delhi Police on tractor parade on Republic Day inconclusive Farmers firm on holding the rally on the Outer Ring Road in Delhi, while police wary of disturbing law and order, want them to call it off Thousands of tractors for the rally from Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan already parked on Delhi’s borders

  • Tactical retreat for fear of losing ground, with eye on future gains

    Express News Service
    NEW DELHI:  Despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s hard-selling the contentious farm laws for months, its potential political cost appears to have weighed high in the government’s considerations to resort to a tactical retreat.

    Pressure from Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS), apprehension of ceding space to Congress in Haryana, and risk assessments in the poll-bound states appear to have prevailed over the BJP to buy peace with agitating farmers, with an offer to keep the laws in abeyance for a year and a half.

    While the offer to keep the farm laws in suspended animation for a while may not be called a complete surrender by the government, the NDA at the Centre in the past had given up after pushing hard for amendments to the land acquisition law. After three ordinances, PM Modi had announced the intent of the government to allow the legislative intervention to lapse in the face of widespread protests by farmers.

    The prolonged farm agitation had put the BJP-JJP (Janata Jannayak Party) alliance government in Haryana staring at the prospects of Congress plucking off vulnerable MLAs from the ranks of the deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala-led outfit.  Twice Chautala met the Union Home Minister Amit Shah to raise concerns about the farm laws.

    In the last meeting, he was accompanied by chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar. Within the BJP, it is being observed that Congress is gaining back the support base of the Jats (agrarian caste) in Rohtak-Sonipat regions. In the past few weeks, the government and the BJP sought to build a case that farmers in other states were in support of the farm laws.

    However, party leaders admitted that the response had largely been lukewarm. Even if farmers weren’t up in arms in the poll-bound states of West Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry, BJP was wary of a possible dent in support, with political rivals drumming up an anti-farmer narrative against the saffron outfit. Importantly, RSS wasn’t seen as overzealous about the farm laws, with its affiliates, particularly the Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM) being vocal about the assurance on MSP (Minimum Support Price) made mandatory for private procurement of grains. 

    The RSS is learnt to have also been cautious of reports about growing anger against BJP in Punjab. For RSS, insiders believe, the farm laws weren’t worth frittering away the organizational gains in all parts of Punjab, and a special bond with the Sikh community.